Happy Father's Day!

For Dad's Day this year, I got my dad some Nutella, a candy he likes and hasn't had lately, and an mp3 player I loaded with some comedy specials and music he likes. Courtney got him a mortar and pestle and a gift certificate to Picasso's, his favorite Italian restaurant. I'm not sure if we'll be doing anything for dinner because he's usually not super hungry these days, but even if we eat at home, I know it will be special.

Father's Day at the restaurant was pretty darn lucrative. I only worked three and a half hours, but I ended up making more than $15 an hour, even before my server's minimum wage. Sure, it was SLAMMED for a period there, but all my tables were fun and tipped reasonably or better, so yay for dads is what I'm saying.

So Excited!

This guy:

is coming to this place:

in this many days:

Happy Usiversary!

Having a picnic on Ward Island.

Chris and I had our one year anniversary yesterday, which was fantastic. A year ago yesterday we realized we'd found what we'd been looking for, we didn't have to worry any more. He'd always been funny, more than anyone else, he'd always been frighteningly smart, and he'd always been cute, at least since he friended me on Facebook and I got to see his face, but only a year ago did we realize we were supposed to be together.

In front of our apartment, some of us better dressed for the weather than others.

What can I say? It's all been great. He's a sweetheart and he makes me so proud to be his one. He loves me and I love him, and almost as importantly, he loves Monte, who adores and respects him. His family is so sweet and fun, and he likes mine a lot, too.

Us at Damien's murder mystery party. Chris was a sheik and I was a Hollywood starlet!

He's just a great guy. I have a hard time believing I deserve someone as sweet, funny, thoughtful, strong, and loving as him. He assures me every morning, noon, and night that I do. I don't think there's a luckier girl in the world than this one right here.

Riding the subway, like bosses.

What can I say? I like having a guy I don't have to make excuses for, to myself or to anyone else. Explaining that, "He's not always like that," or, "I promise he's much nicer in person/online/on Tuesdays," isn't my idea of a good time. He's good. Wonderful, even. And more than that, he's consistently good. He's a rock of goodness, but not in a cookie cutter way. He's him. And that means a wicked sense of humor, a concern for the well-being of others, and a drive to set and accomplish his goals that I really admire. He's great. Just great. And he's been mine for a year.

In  front of his family's house.

We know we have longer ahead of us, as long as anyone gets. We're going to keep working for ourselves, each other, and this love. I know it's cheesy. I'm okay with that. Because this is worth it. Happy anniversary to me and this guy right here, it's certainly the first of many.

Halfie Birthday!

Happy half birthday, Chris! His birthday is August 25th and I did an underwhelming job of celebrating it with him (being broke and in another country didn't help), so I wanted to do a little party today, half a year between his last birthday and his next one. Thanks to Dad putting my checks in my account (because I FINALLY sent them home), I was able to buy party hats, balloons, some little presents, and a cake, which I had the bakery guy cut in half. It was great!

When he came home, Big Bear, the stuffed squirrel, Little Bear, one of Monte's chew toys (the hedgehog) and I were all wearing party hats, there were streamers on the wall, and latex balloons around the apartment. I couldn't get Monte on to save my life. We both sat down and had slices of delicious chocolate cake with milk. I got some of those number candles (2, 8, 5) and used the wax from a Babybel cheese to make a decimal point, so his cake said 28.5 on it.

For his present, I gave him the game pictured above, a card game with ever-changing rules and a pirate bent. The gentleman I talked to at the toy store said it was a lot of fun to play with his girlfriend, so I thought it was a good choice. We haven't played it yet. I also gave him a foam pirate hook, a bouncy ball with a skull and crossbones on it, and breaking with the pirate theme entirely, a pair of dollar store disk-guns, which we shot at each other while I screamed, terrified, throughout the apartment.

So it was a great little thing to do for Chris before he came home, and I was excited to get out of the apartment and rush around with a mission today. I've got a fewposts I have to crank out in the next couple days, one about ebooks and my suggestions for the cheapest way to read them, based on my experience, an easy meal for timid cooks, and a recap of the trip Chris and Cat and I took to Casa Loma. And I might end up posting about the Big Exciting Event of tomorrow, which is Chris and I going to a roller derby match. I'm so excited!